Statement of NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley On OPM’s Strategic Plans and Goals

Press Release March 9, 2006

From the perspective of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), the statement of strategic plans and goals announced today by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) contains both positive and negative aspects for federal workers and retirees. It is encouraging to see OPM’s interest in the concept of agencies providing end-of-career part-time federal work with no loss of earned annuity. On the other hand, OPM’s pursuit of a high-deductible/tax sheltered health care option misses the point that far too many federal workers cannot afford—or just barely can afford—the present high health care premiums. The much more important need is to work to make health care more affordable for more federal employees and retirees. NTEU also intends to continue strongly opposing the administration’s proposed Working for America Act (WFAA). It is a proposal that would severely restrict a variety of workplace rights critical to federal employees, and would replace the General Schedule pay system they know and trust with an untested, complex system that would, at the very least, be subjective and open to favoritism and cronyism.

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